Gunnedah Family Support has been distributing hundreds of black and white coasters with the text #gunnedahsaysnotoviolence in the lead-up to White Ribbon Day on Friday.

The coasters were launched at Gunnedah Hotel on Friday, with NSW Police Force’s regulation domestic violence coordinator, Jill Smith, lending her support.

“I suppose the idea is to create a wallpaper in our community that everywhere you turn you see the same message over and over again,” Family Support team leader Mel McCulloch said.

“If people constantly see the message that we say no to violence, hopefully it will create greater awareness.

“It’s really the beginning of a few events that are going to be held around the region.”

Gunnedah Hotel owner Kim Gibbs said Family Support approached her mother and staff member, Lexie Morrison, about the idea around a month ago.

“We thought it was a really good idea,” Ms Morrison said.

“I think it promotes it.”

It can be hard to quantify the prevalence of domestic violence in our community but a public display to be unveiled on Friday will give some insight into the problem.

The display titled In their Shoes will feature 270 pairs of shoes tied the Kitchener Park boundary fence on Gunnedah’s main thoroughfare, Conadilly Street.

It will be a symbolic reference to the number of domestic and family violence incidents occurring on average each year in our community.

A banner bearing the hashtag #gunnedahsaysnotoviolence will also be displayed to promote public discussion on the hidden scourge within local communities.

It comes on the back of a family touch football gala day in Gunnedah last weekend to rally against violence.

The awareness campaign is being run in association with the Gunnedah Domestic and Family Violence Action Group.